✔️ Midnight Sparks『 T.H. 』✧･ﾟ:*

Chapter 16: Undeniable

There's a couple billion people in the world

And a million other places we could be

But you're here with me

- Dan + Shay

- - -

"Ali Cat, I can't believe I'm actually witnessing you in an act of breaking and entering..." Harrison spoke, his tone a mixture of shock and pride.

"What? I have the key, so technically it's not breaking and entering."

"Just entering minus the breaking, I suppose," Harrison teased, grinning as I inserted the key and deftly unlocked Café Luna's front door.

"Nice job, Ali," Tom remarked with a laugh.

I stepped in through the doorway, followed by Jayna who had rushed past Tom and Harrison.

"Can I make the coffee?" Jayna asked eagerly. "Now that Lou isn't around watching me like a hawk, I can finally get my hands on –"

"His beloved Nuova Simonelli machine? Jays, do you have a death wish?" I exclaimed.

Jayna rolled her eyes. "It can't be that hard to operate a coffee machine." She walked behind the counter and gleefully ran her hand across the Nuova Simonelli's sleek metallic body and matte black buttons.

"Do you smell that?" Harrison asked.

Tom glanced at him. "Smell what?"

"I smell... disaster," Harrison declared, which earned a huge eye-roll from Jayna.

"Such a total naysayer." Jayna pouted.

I actually agreed with Harrison so I quickly chimed in, "Why don't you and Harrison go into the kitchen and grab the sourdough bread? I think there's cheese and cold cuts too."

Retrieving food items sounded a lot safer and doable for Jayna, who could be a klutz sometimes.

"Let's go, darling," Harrison said promptly, striding over to Jayna and taking her hand as he led them to the back where the kitchen was.

Tom's twinkling eyes met mine, not letting go.

Now that the two of us were alone, sort of, I could fully take in the sight of this beautiful boy, the faint rays of sunlight streaming in through the windows and illuminating his face at just the right spots.

And I remembered all the love I felt toward Tom Holland, even before he showed up at my door on Christmas night. All the times he had appeared and left so fleetingly. Yet my heart could never stop yearning for these tiny, precious moments. From the first encounter till today, the sparks had always been there.

It was both exhilarating and terrifying.

"What are you thinking about?" Tom wanted to know, his eyes holding mine.

I let out a self-conscious laugh. "Nothing, really."

"Come on, Alison Rose. Spill."

I shrugged, flinging my gaze elsewhere. "I just – never thought we'd be here like this."

"Like how?"

"Like.. Okay this is going to sound so cheesy, but it's like.. A wish come true."

Tom walked over to close the distance between us. As his fingers reached for mine, he murmured, "It definitely feels like my wish came true."

I looked down at our entwined fingers, so secure. But then... What if he chose to let go one day? It was silly, but I realized I wasn't used to being simply happy – I'd gotten too used to expecting the worst.